


A City Of Fogs And Strange Consonants

by Nevara



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Forehead Kisses, awkward teenagers, ft. Eärwen's pushy mother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 08:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6367693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevara/pseuds/Nevara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tirion is impossible. A magnificent warren of corridors and gossip.<br/>And it's in this ridiculous maze that Eärwen meets someone amazing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A City Of Fogs And Strange Consonants

Eärwen had heard stories about the glorious city of Tirion on Túna. She's heard of the massive walls, carved from the bones of the mountain itself. She'd heard of its wealth and splendour

No story could have prepared her for the sight that she met as her family moved through the mountain pass that hid the city. Under the light of Laurelin the colossal white walls seemed to glow. The crystal staircase leading to the great gold-wrought gates glittered. A strange bolt of anxiety and anticipation went through her at the sight and her grip on the reins of Alpa's bridle tightened.

Her older brother moved closer and jostled her shoulder amiably. "Are you nervous?" He asked with deliberate nonchalance. She shrugged, though her shoulders shook as the did so. "No, I'm not nervous at all" She replied, her nails digging into her palms. The pin-prick of pain centred her, and she took a deep breath, tasting the salt and brine of the sea. The familiar scents calmed her, and she smiled at Elulindo. "Why do you ask, are you?" She teased him lightly.

He scoffed, "No way, I'm not afraid of anything".

His horse Belda stumbled over a hole in the road, and he yelped, the sound carrying through the mountains like the cry of a gull.

"Oh you're definitely not afraid. It takes bravery to scream like a small child" Eärwen laughed, spurring Milya forward into a canter, her brother's indignant cry of protest carrying to her on the wind.

* * *

The court of King Finwë was like nowhere Eärwen had ever been before. Lush verdant courtyards overflowing with blossoms of every possible colour and shade, marble statues carved in such uncanny detail that they seemed almost alive. Stunning high vaulted rooms adorned with colourfully embroidered tapestries that looked as if they were about to spring to life. Everywhere she turned something new and interesting caught her eye. She could never really look for very long though, as it seemed every other minute they moved on to yet another room.

 Fed up with the tedious adult conversation happening above her head, she wandered away from her parents to look at an intricate tapestry detailing the marriage of Ossë and Uinen. By the time Eärwen thought to glance around the room to make sure that her parents was still there, they weren't, and a cold current of panic shot through her. She decided to look for them outside, but they weren't in the corridor either. She was suddenly terribly aware of the fact that she was alone in a place she'd never been before, and she couldn't hold back the anxiety that was winding around her spine.

Licking her lips nervously and gathering herself, she kept going, taking turn after turn, but unused to the tangled warren of corridors, she was quickly hopelessly lost. After she passed the same carving three times she decided to stop walking and rest for a bit, her legs were getting sore anyway, and her best shoes weren't what could be described as comfortable.

She sighed despondently and leaned back against the wall, trying to collect her thoughts and figure out exactly where she was.

"Excuse me?" Someone gently tapped her arm and she jumped. She looked up to see a tall boy that seemed around her age, maybe a few years older. He had soft blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean at dusk, a fall of pale blonde hair held back in elaborate braids, lethally sharp cheekbones, and a kind smile on his face.

"You seem a bit lost. Do you need any help?" he asked, his voice was friendly, and held nothing of the condescending tone that she'd been getting from everyone she'd met so far  today. "Yes, I do" She replied with relief and a smile of her own, finally, she'd managed to meet a nice normal person, and it had only taken her all day. Not bad at all.

She explained her predicament in the most general terms possible. She had come with the delegation from Tol Eressëa and had somehow gotten separated from them. Eärwen had learned quickly that there were many who would be eager to claim friendship with her because of who she was, and she didn't want to let someone in only to find they wanted her status rather than her company.

Although in the face of his friendly warm demeanour, she felt alarmingly prepared to forget all that. It was disquieting how quickly she was prepared to trust him.

"They'd most likely be in the main hall, that's where most of the important things happen anyway." He thought for a moment, and then went on, "Would you like me to show you how to get there?"

"That would be lovely thank you" She smiled graciously and took the hand he offered her.

* * *

 

Sure enough, most of the delegation crowded the main hall, the buzz of excited conversation mingling with the soft strains of a harp. Eärwen craned her neck to try and spot her parents, and a throb of relief went through her when she spotted her father through the throng of people.

"My father's over there" She said lightly, "Thanks for helping me"

 "It was my pleasure" He stated affably, releasing her hand somewhat reluctantly. They broke apart, and she walked a few paces away, before quickly wheeling around. She'd never asked him for his name.

 "Wait!" she blurted out hastily, looking around almost frantically, but he had already melted into the crowd. A dull twinge of disappointment tugged at her, but she pushed it away and went back over to her parents.

It was a shame, he really genuinely seemed nice, and she didn't meet people like that often enough.

'Whatever' she thought sardonically' it's not like anything would have come of it anyway'

* * *

 

The Noldor really knew how to throw a party.

The hall was lit with dozens of candles, the gentle light flickering and playing off of the exquisitely painted walls. Large picture windows offered dazzling views of the inky sky and numerous stars that seemed to stretch into infinity. The most entrancing music threaded its way through the air.

Most importantly, both food and wine were plentiful, and Eärwen was trying very hard not to over indulge. Her mother had even relaxed enough to allow her a first (very small) glass of wine. She had met and been  introduced to so many people that in her mind they were reduced to a blur of faces and striking jewellery.

"Eärwen!" her mother's lilting voice pierced her reverie, and she nearly choked on the salmon she had been chewing. "There's someone I want to introduce you to" Her mother trilled in that ear-piercing tone she adopted when slightly drunk and Eärwen held back a long-suffering sigh. Honestly when you had met one ever-so-courteous courtier you had met them all.

Still, they mostly seemed harmless.

So she let her mother drag her by the arm over to-

What.

The boy from earlier.

But why would her mother-

"Eärwen this is Arafinwë" her mother gave a saccharine smile and a meaningful look. "I think we've met before" Arafinwë smoothly interjected before her mother could say anything else.

"Really?" her mother queried, quirking an eyebrow in interest, "Well then, I'm sure I can leave you two alone to talk"

* * *

 

They were more alike than Eärwen would have thought. Both were the youngest child, they both liked poetry and he even surprisingly shared her affinity for bird-watching. She honestly hadn't felt the time pass as they talked, and they must have been talking for hours at this stage. She'd never met a person she felt able to open up to so fast.

After a while, he asked her if he could show her some of the gardens, and she gladly accepted, eager for a chance to escape her obnoxiously drunken brothers and her mother's eagle eyed gaze.

"Your mother is...intense" Arafinwë said as he flopped down onto the grass. "Try living with her" Eärwen replied dryly, carefully sitting down next to him, "She can be impossible. What's your mother like?"

"My mother spends most of her time making sure that Nolofinwë and Fëanáro don't strangle each other" Arafinwë explained matter-of-factly "Between those two arguing and Írimë joining in I kind of fade into the background. Sometimes I think she forgets I'm there"

 She looked over to him, but he was steadfastly staring at the sky and a twinge of sympathy tugged at her.

She lay down next to him. "I don't see how anyone could forget about you" she quickly mumbled, half hoping he wouldn't hear.

There was silence for a few moments, and she momentarily thought she'd ruined everything, when a strong arm looped around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She so badly wanted to say something witty or endearing, but her brain wasn't cooperating. She settled for resting her head on his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. His hand tentatively stroked through her hair and she closed her eyes contentedly.

The tiredness she hadn't noticed all night suddenly hit her like a boulder, and she promptly fell asleep.

She thought she felt him press a kiss to her forehead just before she nodded off, but she was probably dreaming.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Alpa - Swan (Telerin)  
> Belda - Strong (Telerin)


End file.
